Israel - trip #3 of '08 - St Patrick's & The Dead Sea

from sea level (above...quickly captured from the taxi) to 417 meters below

So this trip I wanted to try to see something new & different... and when I found out that the Dead Sea was just another 45-50 minutes east from Jerusalem, and that we had 2 meetings in Jerusalem, it jut made sense to go and float. It is the lowest point (on dry land) on earth (see photo above), and keeps on getting lower because of evaporation and the fact that the source of the Sea (the Jordan River) is largely diverted for drinking and irrigation needs...and that they've had several very dry years now.

In this photo you can see what used to be the water's edge - by the lifeguard hut, showers, and umbrellas, and how they have had to extend the facilities to keep up with the retreating shoreline:

Dead Sea 'rules':

it is impossible to not float...

It is such a unique sensation... you wade in for a bit, and then just kind of lean back and your feet rush to the surface... and that's it. Despite warnings of what happens if you swallow the water or get it in your eyes, after 10 minutes or so I had to try to dive under.... you can't.

I tried, and when I resurfaced (meaning when I brought my head back out) there were several people laughing at my legs flailing away as I tried to go under... lesson learned. and then it dripped in my right eye... lesson 2 quickly came on the heels of one. It stung (and tasted wickedly salty/bitter).

There was also a mud pit nearby - and a pack of eastern european tourists who had put it literally all over their bodies and were just standing around or sitting in the sun, letting the mud do what it does... (as evidenced above - I tried it a bit... figuring, when at the Dead Sea, do as the Russians do...)

So I floated around for a while - both in normal 'sitting' position - and also tried out 'the superman' pose (see the photo page link here or at the bottom) - one unique fact that you might not find in your guidebook: your fingers do not prune up - even if you've been in there for 40-45 minutes like I was...and my fingers prune with the best of 'em.

It was super quiet and still - and overall a very good, interesting, and unique experience.

- and then we decided to go try out the sulphur hot spring - where you are given the opportunity to smear more stuff that you find on the ground - this time a kind of whiteish/grey substance... on your face.
(where else do you just pick up stuff from the ground and rub it on yourself? - kind of odd)


The skies were still a bit dusty because of south eastern winds over the desert - so while we were not able to even see Jordan across the Sea, it still created some very interesting scenes...
and back to the other 'bits' from the trip - this is a cafe in a town called Zichron Yakov - where one of my clients prefers to meet instead of at their offices. We flew in to Tel Aviv on the overnight flight, checked in at the hotel, showered, and then headed north to have this breakfast meeting. It is a good little spot, owned by one of the wineries in the area, and has free wifi - so why not meet and sit outside in the sun? A very unique first meeting in Israel for my colleague.

St Patrick's Day is very much celebrated in Israel - and I knew of an Irish Pub called Molly Bloom's that I had seen from the taxi many times while driving down the road that runs parallel to the beach in Tel Aviv (bonus points to anyone that knows the literary reference).

Here is a view from inside
and the exterior scene - and as it got later, more and more people kept showing up.
There were not all that many tourists there, which was interesting, and we ended up meeting a group of younger locals that, as most people in Israel are, were interested in why we were there, how we found their country, where we were going, and what the 'external world's' perception was of Israel. Most people there are very warm and welcoming - and really take pride in their country and want to make sure that they share the best parts with visitors - and are painfully aware of what most people see on TV...
It was a fun night out - and a very unique place to celebrate St Paddy's... - also - I was recognised! One of my clients was there and was texting me from across the street - but with so many people there we never met up.

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